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FEATURE
P136
VALENTINO ROSSI
BY CHRIS MARTIN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE
V
alentino Rossi is the very deﬁnition of
the term living legend. Before he had
even turned 30, the Italian megastar
was widely recognized as the 'Greatest of All
Time' by fans, media, and rivals alike. Just a
few short years ago, Rossi's opponents open-
ly marveled at his skills and felt almost no
shame when trounced by him in those days.
Along with his remarkable riding talents,
Rossi was also blessed with rare charisma
which gave him unprecedented crossover ap-
peal. Rossi put MotoGP on his back and car-
ried it to previously unattainable heights, while
adding to his personal fame and fortune along
the way.
Following the 2005 season, in which he
secured a ﬁfth consecutive 500GP/MotoGP
title (his seventh world championship in all),
Rossi seemingly had nothing left to prove on
two wheels. Then just 27, he openly ﬂirted
with a future in Formula 1 or the World Rally
Championship.
Had he left MotoGP at that point, it would
have been the ultimate mic drop; there would
be very little debate concerning his placement
in motorcycle racing history today.
Instead, Rossi decided to stay true to his
ﬁrst love. He chased after new challenges in
MotoGP and was simultaneously confronted
with a new breed of challengers who chased
after him. Since that time -- a time that now
represents more than half of his premier-class
career, Rossi has continued to add to his leg-
end, but he's also been humbled on occasion
and made to appear… well, mortal.
But has his legacy been altered as a re-
sult? Should Valentino Rossi still go down as
the greatest to have ever thrown a leg over a
Grand Prix motorcycle or is it fair to reevaluate
his exact placement in the annals?
While an unquestionably subjective topic,
let's consider the question from a few differ-
ent angles.
Still the Greatest of All Time?
Vale